For the first time in recall, this year's Independence Day celebration
in the city was stretched over two days: Sunday, the 21st and Monday the 22nd.
But it all started – as it did 27 years ago – at midnight on Saturday
the 20th. 7NEWS showed all the major events live, and here are 5 hours
compressed into three and a half minutes.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
It is always an event both festive and austere whenever the Belizean flag goes up at midnight on September 20th and it did so for the 28th time at midnight
on September 20th 2008.
[Clip of Flag raising.]
10 hours later much of the same personnel and personalities were back at Memorial
Park for the highlight of Belize's ceremonial calendar.
[Inspector of guard of honour by Governor General Sir Colville Young]
From the inspection of the guard of honour to the podium where the Leader of
the Opposition made what may be the PUP's first nod to the historical
and socio-cultural significance of the Tenth.
Hon. Johnny Briceno, PUP Leader
"The 10th of September was a catalyst for the Belizean fighting spirit.
It was the moment when our ancestors begun to carve out our national identity,
when they promised to fight to preserve what was rightfully ours and when they
were united behind a common goal, to develop a nation built on the principles 
of peace and prosperity. As we celebrate the 27th anniversary of our independence,
let us renew in ourselves and each other the challenge of our generation, to
build a strong nation where hope means the opportunity to realize our full potential
and where opportunity equals prosperity."
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"And so today we celebrate and we are proud. Proud especially of this
new democracy that ultimately unites us. Proud of the fact that on this day
every year government and opposition share center stage, proud that there is
equal time given to the speech of the other mass party leader, proud of his
right to say whatever he pleases and, it appears for as long as he pleases,
and proud that that right is based immovably on the fact that in the end he
and I and all of us are Belizean to the bone, filled to bursting with love for 
this great country and its blessings and wonders and gifts from Almighty God."
After the speeches, it was unto the march, which went down Albert Street for
the first time in recent memory –mostly for security reasons.
[Clip of Parade]
But students did show up – almost every school had strong numbers –
more than 150 – if not the entire student body.
[Clip of Students in Parade]
For the record, we note that the parade took about one hour to march
past our studio; in the past, as recently as 2005, we've seen parades
that took more than an hour and a half to pass.
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